How Can I Trigger MASCHINE Sounds with MIDI Notes in my Sequencer?

Note: The instructions in this article only apply to version 2.1. - 2.6.8 of the MASCHINE 2 software.

MASCHINE allows for playback of Sounds via MIDI notes (e.g., from a MIDI keyboard). By default, incoming MIDI notes on any MIDI port and any MIDI channel will trigger different pitches of the Sound slot currently focused. To play all the Sound of a Group via MIDI notes independently of the Sound slot currently focused, you need to configure the MIDI input of the entire Group, i.e. define how the Group should react to incoming MIDI notes. This is useful if you want to record MIDI notes directly in your host sequencer (eg. Ableton Live, Logic, Cubase or Pro Tools) and play them back through the MASCHINE 2 plug-in rather than programming the notes in MASCHINE 2's internal sequencer. To trigger the Sounds within a Group via MIDI notes, follow the steps below:

Start your host sequencer and insert MASCHINE 2 as an instrument plug-in. Record-enable the track that is hosting MASCHINE 2. In this example we will use Ableton Live as our host application.

Open the MASCHINE plug-in and load or create a kit.

Click the Channel icon.

Click the Group tab followed by Input to open the MIDI Input properties page for your Group.

Note for MASCHINE 1.x Users: The MIDI page of the Input properties for Sounds and Groups replaces and extends the features of the Sound MIDI Settings and Sound MIDI Batch Setup available in previous MASCHINE versions, respectively.

Move the Active switch to the right to enable the MIDI note input for that Group.

Each Sound will now be triggered by a different MIDI note on your MIDI keyboard (or your MASCHINE Controller if it is set to MIDI mode) starting with your set Root Note (in this case C1). Alternatively, you can program the MIDI notes directly in your sequencer with the mouse.